Nearly five months after Donald Trump vowed on social media that he would debate “ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, ANYPLACE,” the former president has backed out of that promise.
“Given the continued political chaos surrounding Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrat Party, general election debate details cannot be finalized until Democrats formally decide on their nominee,” Trump’s communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement.
Cheung referenced former president Barack Obama, who has yet to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, and claimed that there “is a strong sense” in the Democrat Party that Harris “cannot beat President Trump, and they are still holding out for someone ‘better.’”
“Therefore, it would be inappropriate to schedule things with Harris because Democrats very well could still change their minds,” wrote Cheung.
The news arrives after Trump and President Joe Biden previously agreed to two televised debates, one on June 27 and the other on Sept. 10, before the first took a disastrous turn as Biden’s performance cast widespread doubt among the Democratic party and led to calls for him to step aside for a younger, more able nominee.
Amid the mounting outcry, Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and minutes later, endorsed Harris. “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” wrote Biden in a statement at the time. “Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.” His endorsement was soon followed by other party leaders, including former president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
Earlier this week, Harris earned support from enough Democratic delegates to become the likely party nominee for president. Delegates at the Democratic national convention will still be able to vote for the candidate of their choice in August, however, and a virtual roll call will be held during which convention delegates can pick a nominee prior to the Chicago event.
Trump, who previously said that the debates could be “run by the Corrupt DNC” when faced with Biden as an opponent, recently said that he believes a debate against Harris should be hosted by Fox News, instead of ABC News.
Despite his waning eagerness to take on Harris, on Thursday, the vice president said she is “ready to go” in a showdown against Trump and accused him of “backpedaling.”
“I have agreed to the previously agreed upon Sept. 10 debate. He agreed to that previously,” Harris said. “Now, here he is backpedaling, and I’m ready, and I think the voters deserve to see the split screen that exists in this race on a debate stage, and so I’m ready. Let’s go.”
VP: Trump agreed upon September 10 debate. It now appears he is backpedaling, but I’m ready and I think the voters deserve to see this split screen that exists in this race on a debate stage. And so I’m ready, let’s go. pic.twitter.com/ys43ssm748
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 25, 2024
Shortly after Trump’s campaign released the statement backing out of the scheduled debate, Harris posted to X: “What happened to ‘any time, any place’?”
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